Follow UsRoyal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be without their key bowler Josh Hazlewood for the all-important clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), on May 3 (Saturday). The right-arm speedster isn’t available for the clash, and the franchise have decided to hand a club debut to Lungi Ngidi.
Ngidi last played the Indian Premier League (IPL) back in May 2021, when he represented CSK in the clash against MI. The 29-year-old conceded 62 runs in his last IPL appearance, against MI, costing the five-time IPL champions the game.
It will be his 15th appearance at the IPL, and the right-arm speedster averages 17.9 with 25 wickets, all for CSK. However, it will be interesting if the franchise decides to use him with the new ball, as the team have used Yash Dayal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar up front.
Ngidi’s last T20 appearance was earlier this year, when he played for Paarl Royals against Sunrisers Eastern Cape. There, he went wicketless with figures of 0/22.
Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi (in for Josh Hazlewood), Yash Dayal